Physical Optics Corporation — Department of Defense SBIR Phase II: SOCOM163-006
Physical Optics Corporation — SBIR Phase II award from Department of Defense.
- Amount
- $999,994
- Agency
- Department of Defense · Special Operations Command
- Program / Phase
- SBIR · Phase II
- Topic
- SOCOM163-006
- Solicitation
- 2016.3
- NAICS
- —
- Place of performance
- CA
- Period
- 2018-02-01 → 2020-01-31
Description
To address the USSOCOM need for a color night-vision sensor, in Phase II, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to advance development of the new Integrated Color Night-Vision Camera (ICONIC) proven feasible in Phase I. The innovation in the proposed color night-vision sensor is the compact long effective focal length lens (CLOFL) optics that allows for a compact camera with the required range, making it a line-replaceable unit for current EO/IR turrets of fixed wing for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance applications. This innovative CLOFL optics, together with a TRL-7 imaging sensor, fits on a 20 in. EO/IR turret to identify a person at a distance of 8 km in low light conditions (below 0.01 lux illumination), as verified in Phase I by detailed modeling and analysis. In Phase II, POC will develop and demonstrateusing a 20 in. gimbala color night-vision sensor prototype that has been determined during Phase I to be the most feasible solution for the targeted aviation applications. POC will also perform ground test comparisons of ICONIC using existing low-light sensors. In addition, the reliability of the sensor, along with the sensors scalability for inclusion in smaller or larger gimbals will also be verified.